ACTS

Peter and Paul and the

Birth of the Church

Pentecost

…And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind….

Acts 2:2

Pentecost Mosaic, San Marco

And Peter said,

• In these last days it will be, God declares,

That I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,

…Then everyone who calls on the name of

the Lord shall be saved.

Acts 2:17-21

Peter and Paul

Peter

• One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, at 3 o’clock in the afternoon. And a man lame from birth was being carried in….

Acts 3:1-2

Peter’s witness

• You Israelites, why do you wonder at this?The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob, the God of our ancestors has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and rejected…

And by faith in his name, his name itself has made this man strong, whom you see and know…

Repent, therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.

Acts 3:12-20

Peter’s shadow Brancacci Chapel, Florence

• Yet more than ever believers were added to the Lord, great numbers of both men and women, so that they even carried out the sick onto the streets, …in order that Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he came by.

• Acts 5:14-15

The Church is born

• Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul…

• And there was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds…and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.

• Acts 4:32-35

Peter arrested and Stephen stoned:

the Church spreads.• That day a severe

persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout the countryside….But Saul was ravaging the church.

• Acts 8:1-3

Enter Paul…

“Now the word of God continued to advance…”

Acts 2:46-47Acts 4:4Acts 5:14Acts 8:4Acts 9:31Acts 12:24

etc…

And the Gentiles began to believe:Acts 11-15

“It was in Antioch that the disciples were first called ‘Christians’” Acts 11:26

Peter’s vision Acts 10-11

Paul’s first missionary journeyActs 13

The Council of Jerusalem Acts 15

St. Paul’s missionary journeys

Paul’s acts of power

Paul preaches in AthensActs 17

The Gospel reaches Rome

• “That night the Lord stood near [Paul in prison] and said, “Keep up your courage! For just as you have testified for me in Jerusalem, so you must bear witness also in Rome.”

• Acts 23:11

The Church in Rome ca. 380 AD: Paul in the Catacombs of Tecla

…and today!